Ben Hammott - Salvage

As the nose of the pod slipped through the opening, a large yellow shape appeared out of the gloom. The bulldozer struck the pod and pushed it back through the hangar door. It rolled along its large blade and was caught by the water pressure pushed ahead of the spaceship and nudged free from the bulldozer’s blade. The pod rolled and bounced along the hull of the spaceship, each bang as loud as a car crash within the confines of the pod. Dents appeared alarmingly in its surface. All it would take was one small fracture to allow the sea to pour in and he would drown. Though Richard had no idea if the pod was deep enough to implode from the pressure, the constant groans and creaks it emitted weren’t reassuring.

Tumbled about like a sock in a washing machine, all Richard could do was wait until it ended, one way or another. When the pod settled and floated calmly, Richard peered out at the spaceship sliding past. It was the first time he had truly been able to get a measure of its huge size. When he glanced up its length to see how much more of it there was still to come, he noticed an outcropping of the spaceship directly above. A few moments later the two collided. Trapped under the ledge, the escape pod was dragged down with the spaceship.

Richard quickly realized the danger. Even if the pressure didn’t implode the pod, if he remained trapped he wouldn’t last long. He gazed out of the window to see if there was a way of getting free. The pod was caught under a metal lip on the outcropping hull. To try and knock it free, he raised his body and slammed it hard against the bottom of the pod, but it didn’t budge. The pod creaked ominously from the weight of the water pressing against it. Richard slammed his shoulder against the side of the pod again and this time it moved slightly before returning to its original position. He tried again, but harder this time and ignored the pain it caused. As the pod leisurely rolled over the lip, the window cracked loudly. Richard gazed fearfully at the growing fracture as with agonizing slowness the pod rolled around the edge of the outcrop. Spider web cracks continued to slither across the window as Richard willed the pod to rise. Slowly, buoyancy took hold and drove the pod up towards the dim light.

He looked out as the front of the spaceship slid past. When he stared at the curved windows of the strange, bone-shaped bridge, he saw someone inside. From the description the other scientists had given, he recognized it as the dead alien they thought was the captain. The impression was that he was still at the helm and going down with the ship. Richard watched the alien spaceship grow fainter as its final journey took it to the ocean’s dark and just as alien depths. When it finally disappeared, he pressed his face to the cold, cracked window and looked up at the grey light drawing ever closer.

The pod torpedoed fully out of the water before splashing back into the choppy waves and settled on its side. After he righted himself from his latest tumble and winced from the fresh batch of bruises, Richard looked through the window; he wasn’t out of danger yet. He still had to attract someone’s attention to come and rescue him. He smiled. He couldn’t believe his latest stroke of good luck―a ship headed straight for him. They must have detected him somehow.

Richard jabbed at the control screen until the side of the bed rose. He shivered when a wave sprayed him with cold water. He cursed his bad decision as water rolled over the side and started filling the pod; he should have waited until the ship was nearer. He waved his arms furiously to ensure his presence had been noticed. The ship continued to head straight for him, but it showed no sign of slowing.

His brow creased with worry when he noticed no crew onboard or at the rail waiting to pull him to safety. He shouted to attract someone’s attention, but the wind dragged his shouts away. Starting to think the ship wasn’t on a rescue mission and no one had spotted him, Richard knew if that was the case, he would have to save himself—something he had a lot of practice of doing recently. When the ship was almost upon him he noticed it wasn’t a ship but a type of barge. The sides were not that high and if he timed his jump correctly he should be able to climb aboard.

The wash from the bow gliding past began pushing the pod away. Aware he would only get one try, Richard climbed onto the pod, ran along its length and jumped. His outstretched hands grabbed at the side of the boat. His body struck the hull hard, adding to his aches and pains, and the freezing sea grabbed at his legs with a numbing coldness he had never experienced before. He hauled his tired body over the side and dropped to the hard deck. Panting heavily, he rubbed circulation back into his frozen limbs. He was safe at last. Free from the spaceship and its alien passengers.

After a few moments, when no crew came to see if he was okay, worry creased Richard’s brow as his gaze swept the vessel. There was no sign of any crew. He struggled to his feet and turned to find out who was steering the barge. All he saw in the small wheelhouse was a patch of blackness that seemed to flow out of the door. Richard knew it was the shadow monster from the spaceship. He recoiled in fright and almost fell over the side when a face formed in the black, oil-wet mass and glowing eyes stared at him. The wind rippled the black form like a strong breeze blowing over a still pond.

He tore his gaze away and his eyes desperately swept the churning sea for another vessel that might be able to save him, but the horizon was as bleak and empty as his immediate future. Richard stared at the approaching large block of ice; maybe he could jump onto it to escape the monster. Then what? There was still no chance of rescue and he would soon freeze to death if the wind and waves didn’t sweep him into the freezing sea. He gazed over at the remaining part of the giant iceberg that had broken from the piece that had once entombed the ship and that the barge seemed to be on a collision course with. He assumed he would be dead before the two met. He sighed. After all his near death escapades, he was still going to die. He wondered how the monster would do it and if it would be a quick and pain-free death.

He gazed out to sea as he thought of the things he had done. He wasn’t a good man, he knew that, but he wasn’t bad like a murderer bad. He was just a bit greedy and self-centered. Tears filled his eyes when he sensed the darkness was almost upon him. He wiped away the tears with his cold fingers. He wouldn’t die crying. Richard’s expression changed from shock to disbelief then from anger to realization and finally to the acceptance of his fate. He was no longer afraid. He turned to face his death head on and stared defiantly at the darkness that had formed into a large wolf-like creature that slowly padded towards him. Death moved slowly, purposefully.

When something from out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, Richard glanced in that direction. Distant faint lights pierced the gloom. It was unmistakably a large ship. He directed his stare to the searchlight stretching out from something in the sky approaching the ship―a helicopter. His mind flicked through different scenarios. Maybe he wouldn’t die aboard this boat after all. He turned to face the darkness again and was startled by how close it had come.

Richard held up a hand. “Wait!”

The darkness halted and stared, curiously it seemed, at its victim.

“Can you understand me?” Richard shouted to make certain he was heard above the howling wind and crashing waves. Though the darkness made no response, it remained a short distance away. Whether it was or not, Richard chose this to be a good sign and continued voicing his plan with added arm movements to help the thing understand. “We are both stuck on this boat and will perish if we stay here, but I can help you.” He pointed at the lights of the distant vessel. “I can take you to that ship.” He pointed at the frightening dark form and then the distant vessel to hopefully enforce the meaning of his words. “There are lots of humans onboard you can kill and eat, or whatever it is you do with your victims. All I ask in return is you don’t kill me.”